Army's 'Top Heligun' Awarded to Captain Kim Yongjin

President's Award at the Army Aviation Shooting Competition Awards Ceremony

[Asia Economy Military Specialist Yang Nak-gyu] This year, the honor of being the Army's top helicopter gunner, the "Top Heligun," went to Captain Kim Yong-jin (35), a pilot of the 103rd Aviation Battalion Cobra (AH-1S).

On the 23rd, the Army held the "2022 Army Aviation Shooting Competition Awards Ceremony" at the Army Aviation Command (hereafter Aviation Command) in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, and awarded the Presidential Prize to Captain Kim, who was selected as the "Top Heligun." The 901st Aviation Battalion was selected as the best attack helicopter unit and received the Presidential Prize.

Captain Kim, who became the 24th Top Heligun, competed against about 200 participants in the Army Aviation Shooting Competition held at the Aviation Command from September 7 this year to last month’s 7th, achieving the highest score. Among the Top Heliguns in history, Captain Kim is the second recipient who is neither a field-grade officer nor a warrant officer.

Captain Kim overcame his relatively limited experience through practical training. He was commissioned in 2012 as a communications officer and has accumulated about 900 flight hours flying the Cobra (AH-1S) as his main aircraft to date. For areas he had not directly experienced, he acquired flying skills and know-how through studying manuals and tactical discussions with senior pilots, and built confidence in aerial shooting through analysis of shooting video materials and simulator training.

Captain Kim said, "I was able to be selected as the honorable Top Heligun thanks to the generous encouragement and support of my commander and comrades," adding, "I will do my best to become an elite Army aviation combatant who can surely win against any provocation from the enemy."

Major Kim Min-ki (37) of the 501st Aviation Battalion was selected as an excellent Heligun and received the Minister of National Defense Award. Five others, including Warrant Officer Seo Hyun-joo (47) of the 902nd Aviation Battalion, were selected as excellent marksmen for each weapon such as the 2.75-inch rocket (RKT) and received the Chief of Staff and Aviation Commander's Awards.

Lieutenant General Lee Bo-hyung, Commander of the Army Aviation Command, said, "Army aviation power is an essential force that guarantees victory in ground warfare based on rapid mobility and overwhelming firepower," adding, "We will devote ourselves to perfect combat readiness and training, training, and more training to become the main force of offensive maneuver warfare that dominates the battlefield."

The Army Aviation Shooting Competition, a contest to test helicopter pilots' aerial shooting combat skills, has been held since 1989. Since 1999, the top scorer has been selected as the Top Heligun of the year and awarded the Minister of National Defense Award, and since 2002, the award level was elevated to the Presidential Prize.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.